Ncome–Monument and Museum as “Critical Response”

Sabine Marschall

Abstract

The Ncome monument and museum in KwaZulu-Natal was built in 1998 by the post-apartheid South African government to commemorate the fallen Zulu warriors of the 1838 “Battle of Blood River.” The article traces the origins of this project to the construction of a museum on the Afrikaner Nationalist battlefield of Blood River, initiated short after 1994. It is argued that Ncome ultimately became a political necessity because the authorities in charge failed to modify the existing heritage site to be more balanced and inclusive, and notably to represent a re-interpreted battle narrative in the newly established Blood River museum.

Keywords

Ncome; Blood River; Heritage; Museum; Post-apartheid

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